Outline for Planets and Constellations PDF

Outline for Planets and Constellations Created with AI from notes uploaded by miss_natalie75 Astronomy Solar System The eight planets in order from the sun are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system, is the fifth planet from t...

Outline for Planets and Constellations Created with AI from notes uploaded by miss_natalie75 Astronomy Solar System The eight planets in order from the sun are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system, is the fifth planet from the sun and has a great red spot. Saturn is the second-largest and sixth planet from the Sun; it has a complex ring system, at least 31 moons, and a thick atmosphere made mostly of hydrogen and helium. Uranus has 27 moons, lies on its side, and was the first planet discovered in modern times. Neptune appears royal blue and has a moon named Triton. Stars and Constellations Polaris is the actual name of the North Star. Arcturus is a star in the constellation Herdsman. Castor and Pollux are two stars in the constellation Twins (Gemini). Betelgeuse and Rigel are two supergiant stars in the constellation Orion. Sirius is the star in the constellation Big Dog (Canis Major). Orion is the constellation mentioned in the Bible. Moon Phases The moon orbits the earth every 27.3 days. The crescent moon is the phase in which only a curved edge of the moon's side that faced earth is illuminated, lasting about 6 days. The new moon occurs when the Moon is between Earth and the Sun, at which point the Moon cannot be seen because its lighted half is facing the Sun and its dark side faces Earth. The full moon is the moon phase when the entire side facing Earth is illuminated. The waxing crescent moon shows a bit of the sunlit side of the moon on the right side. The waning crescent moon is the phase in which the sunlight portion of the moon is beginning to shrink smaller and is now on the left side. Atmosphere and Space Phenomena Atmosphere Layers Atmosphere Layers The atmosphere is the layer of gases surrounding a planet or moon. The troposphere is the layer of the atmosphere that is closest to the earth and where all the weather occurs. The ozone layer is an invisible shield of gas in the stratosphere that helps protect the earth from ultraviolet rays. The exosphere is the topmost layer of the atmosphere. Space Phenomena Sunspots are darker areas on the outer surface of the sun. The corona is the vapor blanket surrounding the sun, visible only during a total eclipse. The solar wind is a steady stream of subatomic particles from the sun. Auroras are light displays seen near the poles caused by the collisions of particles from the solar wind with molecules of air. Earth and Space Exploration Space Exploration The sun is approximately 93,000,000 miles from the earth. Wernher von Braun was one of America's most eminent aerospace engineers. American astronauts first set foot on the moon in 1969. Earth's Features The only planet suitable for life is Earth. The North Magnetic Pole is located near the geographic North Pole. The air pressure at sea level is 14.7 pounds per square inch. Meteoroids and Meteors Meteoroids and Meteors A meteorite is the portion of a large meteoroid that survives the journey through Earth's atmosphere and strikes the ground. Meteoroids often burn up in the mesosphere. A meteor is a burning meteoroid, often called a shooting star, found in the mesosphere. God and Ancient Beliefs Ancient people thought the sun was a god. Chemical Composition of Air Air Composition About 78% of the air is made of nitrogen. About 21% of the air is oxygen. Ozone is an oxygen molecule with three atoms instead of two Ozone is an oxygen molecule with three atoms instead of two. Air Properties Air expands when heated and contracts when cooled. Airglow is a faint light caused by ions in the lower regions of the thermosphere. The magnetic field surrounds the entire earth and protects the earth from harmful space particles. Miscellaneous Planetary Facts Saturn has a moon larger than Mercury. Solar and Lunar Phenomena Plants use the sun's energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugars through photosynthesis. During a solar eclipse, the moon is on the same level as the sun and blocks out the sun's light. The light of the moon comes from the sun. In a lunar eclipse, the moon travels through the earth's shadow.